DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Amendment filed 8/7/2026. Claims 2, 5, and 10 have been canceled. Claims 1, 3-4, 6-9, and 11-22 are currently pending in the application.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because they do not apply to the new grounds of rejection made in view of newly cited Medvedev et al. (U.S. Publication US 2003/0161282 A1).
Due to the claim amendments, the previous objection to claim 12 has been withdrawn.
The independent claims have been amended include new limitations requiring a receiving “connected to one or more receive antennas”, an “initiating communication apparatus connected to one or more transmit antennas”, the report frame to include information of “real and imaginary parts of the CSI” and “the information having a scaling factor which is individually calculated for each transmit antenna and receive antenna pair”. Previously cited Zheng et al. (U.S. Publication US 2022/0271803 A1) discloses performing beamforming between devices having multiple transmit and receive antennas (See paragraph 2 and paragraph 12 of Zheng et al.). Zheng et al. also discloses using weighting coefficients, which are scaling factors, calculated for antenna port groups (See paragraph 5, paragraph 12, paragraph 38, and paragraph 80 of Zheng et al.). However, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose “the report frame including information of real and imaginary parts of the CSI” with the scaling factor being individually calculated for each transmit antenna and receive antenna pair.
Newly cited Medvedev et al. (U.S. Publication US 2003/0161282 A1) discloses transmission of partial CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.) and using scalars calculated for each transmit-receive antenna pair (See paragraph 30 and paragraph 88 of Medvedev et al.). Transmitting partial CSI including the information taught by Medvedev et al. has the advantage of greatly reducing the amount of channel information needed to be reported from the receiver to the transmitter (See paragraph 124 of Medvedev et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, based on the combined teachings of Zheng et al. and Medvedev et al., it is believed that the amended claim limitations are rendered obvious. Please see the rejections below for further detail.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 11-12, 15, and 17-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng et al. (U.S. Publication US 2022/0271803 A1) in view of Medvedev et al. (U.S. Publication US 2003/0161282 A1).
With respect to claims 1 and 20, Zheng et al. discloses a reporting communication apparatus performing a method and comprising: a receiver, which is connected to one or more receive antennas; circuitry; and a transmitter (See the abstract, paragraph 2, paragraph 12, paragraphs 128-131, paragraph 138, and Figures 6 and 7 of Zheng et al. for reference to a mobile terminal, which is a reporting communication apparatus, performing a feedback method and including a receiving module, which is a receiver having multiple antenna port groups, circuit modules, which is circuitry, and a transmitting module, which is a transmitter). Zheng et al. also discloses receiving a measurement signal from an initiating communication apparatus connected to one or more transmit antennas (See paragraph 2 and paragraph 21 of Zheng et al. for reference to receiving a reference signal used for calculating a channel state information report via reference resource set from a transmitter having multiple transmit antennas). Zheng et al. further discloses measuring channel state information (CSI) of the received measurement signal (See paragraph 21, paragraphs 74-76, and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to calculating channel state information using the reference signal). Zheng et al. also discloses transmitting a report frame including information of a sub-component of the CSI (See paragraph 15, paragraph 24-26, paragraphs 74-76, and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to transmitting first-type signaling to a second communication node, which may be a base station, including partial channel state information, which is a sub-component of the CSI). Zheng et al. further discloses using weighting coefficients, which are scaling factors, calculated for antenna port groups (See paragraph 5, paragraph 12, paragraph 38, and paragraph 80 of Zheng et al.). However, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose the report frame including information of real and imaginary parts of the CSI with the scaling factor being individually calculated for each transmit antenna and receive antenna pair. Medvedev et al., in the field of communications, discloses transmission of partial CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.) and using scalars calculated for each transmit-receive antenna pair (See paragraph 30 and paragraph 88 of Medvedev et al.). Transmitting partial CSI including the information taught by Medvedev et al. has the advantage of greatly reducing the amount of channel information needed to be reported from the receiver to the transmitter (See paragraph 124 of Medvedev et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Medvedev et al., to combine transmitting partial CSI including the real and imaginary dimensions taught by Medvedev et al., within the system and method of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to greatly reduce the amount of channel information needed to be reported from the receiver to the transmitter.
With respect to claim 3, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the report frame further includes the scaling factor that is calculated for each transmit and receive antenna pair (See paragraph 5 and paragraph 38 of Zheng et al. for reference to the information related to the weighting coefficient being fed back to the base station). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. also renders obvious using scalars calculated for each transmit-receive antenna pair (See paragraph 30 and paragraph 88 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claim 4, Zheng et al. discloses the receiver further receives a frame, from an initiating communication apparatus, carrying a report type indication indicating a sub-component of the CSI (See paragraph 76, paragraph 94, and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to receiving parameter signaling, which is a frame, from the base station including partial parameter information for calculating a channel state information report, which is a report type indication indicating a sub-component of the CSI). Zheng et al. also discloses wherein the transmitter transmits the report frame carrying the information of the indicated sub-component of the CSI to the initiating communication apparatus (See paragraphs 74-76 and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to the mobile terminal transmitting the first-type signaling to the base station carrying the partial channel stat information).
With respect to claim 6, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the frame carrying the report type indication is received during one of a sensing session setup phase and a sensing measurement setup phase, the report type indication for different measurement instances corresponding to the one of the sensing session setup phase and the sensing measurement setup phase is identical (See paragraph 76 and paragraph 94 of Zheng et al. for reference to the partial parameter information being configured by the base station before the channel state information is calculated, such that it occurs during the equivalent of a sensing session setup phase or a sensing measurement setup phase, wherein the configured partial parameter information is used for each measurement instance used to calculate the channel state information).
With respect to claim 11, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information comprises a maximum absolute value of measured values of the sub-component of the CSI (See paragraph 82 and paragraph 87 of Zheng et al. for reference to the reported partial channel state information including information reported for a maximum number of ports, maximum number of resources in each frequency band, maximum supported sum of all ports of reference signals in each frequency band, etc.). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. renders obvious the sub-component of the CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claim 12, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information comprises a single matrix of values of the sub-component corresponding to a group of subcarriers which are grouped based on a grouping parameter, the grouping parameter having a value different from that for reporting a beamforming feedback matrix (See paragraph 108 of Zheng et al. for reference to reporting the amplitude and phase information via row and column indexes of a matrix, wherein the matrix is not indicated as being used to report a beamforming feedback matrix). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. renders obvious the sub-component of the CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claim 15, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information of the sub-component comprises measured values of the sub-component of the CSI, the measured values being encoded using a base-2 numeral system (See paragraph 80 and paragraphs 107-108 of Zheng et al. for reference to the amplitude and phase information of the calculated channel state information being encoded via a bitmap, which uses a base-2 numeral system). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. renders obvious the sub-component of the CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claim 17, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information of the sub-component is retrieved based on lookup tables (See paragraph 122 of Zheng et al. for reference to the bitmap including the amplitude and phase information corresponding to weighting coefficients in a tables). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. renders obvious the sub-component of the CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claim 18, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information comprises a parameter relating to a number of bits used to encode original values of the CSI of the received measurement signal (See paragraph 14, paragraph 35, and paragraph 119 of Zheng et al. for reference to a size of a resource occupied by the channel state information being fixed and indicated such that the number of bits used to encode the channel state information is based on the determined size of the resource).
With respect to claim 19, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the information comprises an index of a lookup table which corresponds to a measured value of the sub-component (See paragraphs 94-95 of Zheng et al. for reference to the reported channel state information through an index table). As shown above in the rejection of claim 1, Medvedev et al. renders obvious the sub-component of the CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claim 1.
With respect to claims 21 and 22, Zheng et al. discloses an initiating communication apparatus connected to one or more transmit antennas performing a method and comprising: circuitry; and a receiver (See paragraph 2, paragraphs 132-133, paragraph 138, and Figure 8 of Zheng et al. for reference to a base station, which is an initiating communication apparatus having multiple transmit antennas, performing a feedback method and including circuit modules, which are circuitry, and a receiving module, which is a receiver). Zheng et al. also discloses generating a frame carrying a report type indication indicating a sub-component of CSI to a reporting communication apparatus connected to one or more receive antennas (See paragraph 12, paragraph 76, paragraph 94, and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to the base station generating and transmitting partial parameter information for calculating a channel state information report, which is a frame carrying a report type indication, to a mobile terminal, which is a reporting communication apparatus having multiple antenna port groups). Zheng et al. further discloses receiving a report frame carrying information of the sub-component of the CSI of a measurement signal from the reporting communication apparatus (See paragraph 15, paragraph 24-26, paragraphs 74-76, and Figure 3 of Zheng et al. for reference to receiving first-type signaling from a first communication node, which may be a mobile terminal, including partial channel state information, which is a sub-component of the CSI). Zheng et al. further discloses using weighting coefficients, which are scaling factors, calculated for antenna port groups (See paragraph 5, paragraph 12, paragraph 38, and paragraph 80 of Zheng et al.). However, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose the report frame carrying including information of real and imaginary parts of the CSI with the scaling factor being individually calculated for each transmit antenna and receive antenna pair. Medvedev et al., in the field of communications, discloses transmission of partial CSI including information of real and imaginary dimensions (See paragraphs 124-129 of Medvedev et al.) and using scalars calculated for each transmit-receive antenna pair (See paragraph 30 and paragraph 88 of Medvedev et al.). Transmitting partial CSI including the information taught by Medvedev et al. has the advantage of greatly reducing the amount of channel information needed to be reported from the receiver to the transmitter (See paragraph 124 of Medvedev et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Medvedev et al., to combine transmitting partial CSI including the real and imaginary dimensions taught by Medvedev et al., within the system and method of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to greatly reduce the amount of channel information needed to be reported from the receiver to the transmitter.
Claims 7-8 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng et al. in view of Lee et al. (U.S. Publication US 2017/0104563 A1).
With respect to claim 7, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the transmitter transmits the report frame immediately after a short interframe space of the received measurement signal.
With respect to claim 8, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the transmitter transmits the report frame at a time delay after the measurement signal is received, the time delay after the measurement signal is received being one of immediately after a short interframe space of a subsequently received measurement signal and in a subsequent transmission opportunity.
With further respect to claims 7-8, Lee et al., in the field of communications, discloses a station, i.e. STA1, transmitting a CSI feedback immediately after a SIFS elapses after the end of a NDP, which is a measurement signal, wherein the CSI feedback may be transmitted in a subsequent transmission opportunity for other stations, i.e. STA2 and STA3 (See paragraphs 223-224 and Figure 9B of Lee et al. for reference to this CSI feedback transmission timing). Transmitting CSI feedback immediately after a SIFS elapses after the end of a measurement signal and transmitting feedback in a subsequent transmission opportunity has the advantages of allowing a first STA to report its feedback as soon as possible while also allowing all other stations to report its feedback at later opportunities. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Lee et al., to combine transmitting CSI feedback immediately after a SIFS elapses after the end of a measurement signal and transmitting feedback in a subsequent transmission opportunity, as suggested by Lee et al., within the system and method of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to allow a first STA to report its feedback as soon as possible while also allowing all other stations to report its feedback at later opportunities.
With respect to claim 13, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the frame is a null data packet announcement frame received immediately prior to the received measurement signal. Using NDPA frames and NDP frames to perform CSI measurement is old and well known in the art of communications. For example, Lee et al. discloses a NDPA frame containing parameters for CSI feedback being received immediately prior to a NDP frame including a measurement signal (See paragraphs 198-201 and Figure 8A of Zheng et al. for reference to this reception timing). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, that a NDPA frame containing parameters for CSI feedback may received immediately prior to a NDP frame including a measurement signal, as taught by Lee et al., may be used to indicate the CSI parameters and transmit the reference signal of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to use old and well known signal types (i.e. NDPA frames and NDP frames) for performing CSI measurement.
With respect to claim 14, Zheng et al. discloses wherein the frame carrying the report type indication is received during each measurement instance corresponding to a sensing measurement setup, and the report type indication for different CSI measurement instances corresponding to the sensing measurement setup phase is different (See paragraph 76 and paragraph 94 of Zheng et al. for reference to the partial parameter information being configured by the base station before the channel state information is calculated, such that it occurs during the equivalent of a sensing session setup phase or a sensing measurement setup phase, wherein the configured partial parameter information may be changed for different channel state calculation instances by signaling different configured partial parameter information).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng et al. in view of Kela (U.S. Publication US 2018/0242243 A1).
With respect to claim 9, although Zheng et al. discloses wherein the transmitter/receiver further transmits/receives a sensing session setup request/response frame to/from an initiating communication apparatus during a sensing session setup phase (See paragraph 76 and paragraph 94 of Zheng et al. for reference to the partial parameter information being configured by the base station before the channel state information is calculated, such that it occurs during the equivalent of a sensing session setup phase or a sensing measurement setup phase), Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose setting a maximum time delay to transmit the report frame after the measurement signal is received, respectively. However, Kela, in the field of communications, discloses determining a maximum acceptable delay for CSI (See paragraph 88 of Kela). Using a determined maximum acceptable delay for CSI has the advantage of ensuring that only valid CSI information is signaled. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Kela, to combine using a determined maximum acceptable delay for CSI, as suggested by Kela, within the system and method of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to ensure that only valid CSI information is signaled.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zheng et al. in view of Ghosh et al. (U.S. Publication US 2018/0042029 A1).
With respect to claim 16, Zheng et al. does not specifically disclose the receiver further receives a first frame and a second frame from an initiating communication apparatus, the first frame being received during one of a sensing session setup phase and a sensing measurement setup phase and carrying a coarse report type indication indicating whether a full CSI or a partial CSI is to be reported, the second frame carrying a fine report type indication indicating whether the full CSI being compressed/uncompressed or a sub-component of the partial CSI, respectively, wherein the transmitter transmits the report frame carrying information of the indicated compressed/uncompressed full CSI or the indicated sub- component of the partial CSI to the initiating communication apparatus, respectively. However, Ghosh et al., in the field of communications, discloses a sounding report including frames indicating a feedback report type and a feedback type with the feedback report type indicating whether the feedback is a full feedback or a partial feedback and the feedback type indicating one or more compressed measurements (See paragraphs 19-24 and Figure 2 of Ghosh et al.). Indicating whether the feedback is a full feedback or a partial feedback and indicating one or more compressed measurements has the advantage of allowing the exact contents and encoding type of the feedback to be configured before performing measurements. Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Ghosh et al., to combine indicating whether the feedback is a full feedback or a partial feedback and indicating one or more compressed measurements, as suggested by Ghosh et al., within the system and method of Zheng et al., with the motivation being to allow the exact contents and encoding type of the feedback to be configured before performing measurements.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JASON E MATTIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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